Fresno State ranked No. 17 university in nation by Washington Monthly

Photo by Daniel Leon/Clovis Roundup

Washington Monthly, a magazine based out of the nation’s capital known for its annual rankings of American colleges and universities, announced Monday, Aug. 28 that Fresno State placed No. 17 on its list of the top national universities, moving up eight spots from last year’s No. 25 ranking.

Fresno State was selected alongside six Ivy League institutions, six University of California campuses, MIT and top-ranked Stanford University on the list.

“Fresno State is proud to represent the California State University system in the Top 30,” said Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro.

Washington Monthly has been ranking colleges and universities for 12 years focusing on three pillars: social mobility, research and service. The rankings measure “what colleges do for their country,” recognizing universities that “produce research, train the next generation of scientists and PhDs and instill graduates with an ethos of public service.”

Fresno State, as a university that enrolls many first-generation college students and helps them graduate, was cited by the publication for its “stellar graduation rate relative to other colleges with a similar admissions profile.” The magazine also said Fresno State’s “net price of attendance [what students pay after scholarships are deducted from tuition] is among the very lowest nationwide.”

Castro said Fresno State’s upward trend in the national rankings is a testament to the hard work of students, faculty and staff on campus who are dedicated to improving graduation rates.

“These national rankings are further proof that Fresno State’s commitment to boldly educate and empower our students for success is taking the University’s academic profile to new heights,” Castro said. “Our faculty and staff are supporting and engaging students in exciting new ways, and the University is working as one with the community to develop partnerships that can be transformational for our region, where more than 80 percent of our alumni choose to stay and work.”

Enrollment at Fresno State this fall is at an all-time high of nearly 25,000 students, and more than 80 percent of those students are from the Central Valley.